


The elephant in the room

by Kissmekate_m



Category: Grace and Frankie (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-13 15:25:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18471712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kissmekate_m/pseuds/Kissmekate_m
Summary: This takes place after the season 5 finale. I'm not sure I've found the exact mix yet...so there's more chapters to write.  Let me know what you think.  My muse is an audience.





	The elephant in the room

Frankie was done. Done teasing Grace about what she wanted out of the relationship. Done hiding in Nick's, or Phil's, or even the regrettable Guy's shadow. Done watching Grace come down the stairs in the morning and feeling the twist of pain combined with a jealousy that caused literal and figurative heartburn and binge eating. Frankie's heart ached too much seeing a ring from Nick on Grace's finger. Fuck it. What had Grace said? Something about, leave it all on the field. 

In this frame of mind, Frankie stood up and without further ado, actually kissed Grace. Grace let herself step into the passion, and anger, and hurt, an unbidden moan of desire rose from her throat. This was like kissing Bryon all over again, and yet more intimate because it was Frankie. As the sound escaped Grace's mouth, Frankie pulled back, breaking contact, moving their bodies apart. Goosebumps arose on Grace's arms from the sudden loss of warmth. Her eyes were cloudy with a the beginnings of desire. God you're beautiful thought Frankie, out loud she said, you want me to say something? Tell Nick mazel tov. With that Frankie turned around and walked away toward the beach house. Her back ramrod straight, knowing she couldn't dare to look at Grace without shattering into a million pieces again, Frankie said...go home...to Nick. I'll call you sometime and we'll do brunch.

Grace watch Frankie walk away. Oh hell no said Grace once she was steady enough on her bad knee to walk. Catching up to Frankie Grace hissed, fuck you, Frances. I'm not some corn dog you can eat while posing suggestively on your boyfriend's car. Grace pushed her hands into her chest in an unconscious gesture of anger. This is not okay. You don't get to finally stop teasing me and kiss me like that. Then walk away all high and mighty. Frankie rounded on Grace, and got right up in her face, making eye contact, and holding it until she knew she had Grace's attention. Then she whispered, I keep telling you Grace, I could fuck you, it's just you wouldn't particularly acknowledge you liked it. Without realizing it Grace brought her hand up to slap Frankie across the face, but Frankie's reflexes were faster, and she caught Grace's hand before it connected. Then still looking into Grace's eyes Frankie pulled Grace's hand to her mouth and kissed the fingertips. You have amazing, beautiful hands Grace, wouldn't you rather use them for something other than slapping me, in anger? Because you could use them for this. Never breaking eye contact, Frankie slowly pulled Grace's middle finger into her mouth. Then licked it gently as she pulled it back out. Then placed a gentle kiss on the palm of Grace's hand and offered Grace her hand back. So now what? Do Nick and I suddenly become Facebook friends or share pictures of your face like that with each other on Snapchat in some kind of weird game of who can wreck Grace Hanson better with a kiss? Frankie paused for a beat, and watched Grace's brain move from sexual arousal to comprehension of what Frankie said. God, Frankie. I guess I always sensed you were a bitch, I just didn't fully realize it til today. You know what I will tell Nick you said mazel tov, and I will call you sometime to do brunch.Then it was Grace's turn to straighten her spine, turn her back on Frankie and walk away. 

Watching Grace leave, Frankie said yeah well I always knew, from day one, you were some type of sea witch. But I let myself love you anyway. I guess today is the first day I actually realized you can't let go of your heterosexuality enough to acknowledge the truth. God, I was so stupid to fall for that you kissed a girl bullshit. So yeah, you do you, go back to Nick... suddenly Frankie snorted laughed….speaking of revelations, I just realized today how much I hate Freud. Fuck, I've never truly understood penis envy until just now.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Grace caught herself laughing at Frankie logic. Out loud she said, God Frankie we really do need to have this conversation, but not right now when my knee is killing me, and we're too emotional to really talk.

So yes, I'm going to go back to Nick's house and yes we can definitely get together tomorrow. Then feeling the need to soothe things between them a bit, Grace said we can even do Del Taco. I will eat a burrito. 

Grace's peace offering had the opposite effect on Frankie. All of her anger and pain boiled up again. Don't you get it Grace? You married Nick. You don't get to stand there looking like….like you do, and promise to eat a burrito with me as some kind of mother fucking consolation prize. But just like that Frankie's anger faded, and as painful as it was, her love for Grace came flooding back in. Frankie threw up her hands in exasperation. Look Grace, I get it. We do need to talk. Realizing she had pushed Grace into full shut down mode, Frankie forced herself to breathe and relax. Come on. Let's go back to the house. You can sit. I can monitor your drinking, we'll get through this.

Half an hour later, Grace was sitting with an ice pack on her knee, and a martini in her hand. Frankie had a big container of frosted animal crackers and half eaten bag of sunchips sitting next to her chair. Everything was right with the world, except it wasn't really. Frankie cleared her throat. Ready to talk now? I know, I know, obviously you're not, but I'm trying to be a proper hostess so….

What's there to talk about really? I married Nick. I hurt you and I didn't know how not to. Plus you had Jacob, and Santa Fe, then literally moved into a yurt on the patio with Leo. I honestly don't know how many times I can say it. I'm not overly sexually attracted to women. I did the whole kiss a girl in college thing, I did the whole be the perfect wife thing, I'm still figuring out the whole rock the trophy wife trope thing, especially when your husband left you for a man. I admit I wasn't into acid trips or smoking pot, but I did try cocaine once. Then I settled for Grey Goose, and here we are. Grace shifted slightly to face Frankie and sighed. And now you want me to talk about my really mixed up emotional response to you because, like I said I have never been overly sexually attracted to a woman….the until now.... hangs between them upspoken, yet another part of the elephant in the room starts to reveal itself.

Frankie weighs her words carefully, part of her wants to tell Grace to cut the crap. And to lash out in anger..to tell Grace maybe if you quit hiding in a vodka bottle every time you felt a strong emotion, you might finally be able to sober up and live a real life. But another part of the her recognized how far Grace has come in being able to acknowledge as many conflicting emotions as she did. 

Frankie leads with what she knows will distract Grace from the immediate vulnerability by saying, I hear you Grace. And trust me I obviously get the whole rocking the trophy wife trope, while your husband leaves you for a man thing. But what I didn't hear is when did you start drinking, or hiding in a vodka bottle? Who hurt you? Is black haired, green eyes sex vixen Daliha a real person? 

Without thinking about it Frankie reached up to wipe the tears from Grace's cheek. She whispers, I know you hate it when your makeup gets ruined. I'm sorry. I know being loved, or sincerely complimented is a hard thing for you. But honest to God Grace, when you're in full on Grace mode, it's hard not to be moth to a flame. You're beautiful, and your aura shines, and you radiate sexuality, and my brain, along with pretty much everyone else's in your vicinity, turns into a hormonal mush. It's both fantasy inducing and goals at the same time, Frankie smiles and hopes the humor works to let Grace really hear the compliments, for their truth and love. It's okay. We can do this together. It's good. We're good. We've survived alot of shit to get to this point. Frankie takes Grace's hand, and squeezes it. Earlier I admit I was just trying to piss you off or bait you, when I did this, said Frankie as she kissed Grace's knuckles and then opened Grace's hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the palm. Once again holding Grace's hand out to her, while catching and holding eye contact with Grace, Frankie said … so the elephant's real name is Daliah. Tell me about her.


End file.
